Archive for the ‘Langebaan’ Category

Langebaan

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

Langebaan is one of the most popular destinations on the South Africa West Coast. Situated about 70 miles North of Cape Town, it is often frequented by international tourists and Cape Town locals who are looking to take a break from city life alike. One of the main attractions of the coastal town is the wide variety and large quantity of different birds. The Rocherpan Nature Reserve is the perfect place to view them in their natural environment, and it is only a short drive outside of Langebaan itself.

There are two other Nature Parks boasting the ecological richness of the area; the West Coast Fossil Park, where the main attraction is an exhibit of Pliocene fossils, and daily guided tours are available. The West Coast National Park includes the Langebaan Lagoon, but also encompasses a number of bird colonies on small islands just off the coast. Boat tours can be booked at the tourist information centre in the village.

More conventional holiday activities which are promoted in the city are centered on the coast and lagoon. For water sports fans, the surprisingly moderate water temperature on this side of the West Coast, combined with the many small businesses catering for surfers, windsurfers, water-skiers and kite-surfers makes Langebaan lagoon a perfect attraction. There are a number of backpackers, catering for the surfing hippies, as well as some very lawny up market up accommodation, and the holiday resort visitors will be tempted to use the facilities available through the country club. These include a golf course, tennis courts, the Langebaan yacht club and a bowling green.

As for amenities, there are a lot of excellent seafood restaurants around, and Langebaan is known for its excellent homegrown oysters. The standard range of groceries and tourist shops can be found on the boardwalks and in the town center.